Spare the rod and spoil the child

: what does the proverbial saying spare the rod and spare the child really mean . Does this anything to do with spanking or does it have another meaning from a biblical stand point. what does the rod represents really . Does it mean beating children with rods ,belts ,sticks .What about its histrical content as it relates to slavery . Please give me some backgroung

'the rod' has long been used as a symbol of authority - ancient Egypt being one place. it also represents a stick for administering corporal punishment - and there was a rule that a stick up to the diameter of a thumb could be used to beat.
the saying means that failing to exert authority over a child is bad for the child's development. some people take it literally, that parents must use physical chastisement, whereas others take it more figuratively.